Stock quotation system



April 13, 1937. H. c. ROBINSON STOCK QUOTATION SYSTEM Filed Sept. 11, 1951 7 Sheets-Sheet l QNE max $360 WWQ ' Inuenlcir Harald I:

. Robinson Ap 3 c. ROBINSON STOCK QUOTATION SYSTEM Filed Se t. 11, 1951 7 Sheets-Sheet [2 1 QQN lam-Er- Harald C.Hubinsun April 13, 1937; HVc. ROBINSON 9 1 7 STOCK QUOTATION SYSTEM 7 Filed Sept. 11, 1931 '7 Sheets-Sheet 3 km Haruld 1:. Hubinsmn April 13, 1937. H. c. ROBINSON STOCK QUOTATION SYSTEM Filed Sept. 11, 1951 7 Shee ts-Sheet 4 EA L FAW W.. ERA

amfi W E an; fl .2& an 2:3 u Q\ ATTORNEY.

.' J .April 13, 1937.- H. ROBINSOIQ' 2,076,6 2,

STOCK QUOTATION SYSTEM Filed Sept. 11, 195-1 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 MAIN 50.

SECTION- TWO LOCAL SEA/DER.

INVENTOR.

Harold C. Robinson BY Wm ATTORNEY.

April 13, 1937. H. c. ROBINSON 2,076,672

swocx QUOTATION SYSTEM Filed' Sept. 11, 1931 7 Sheets-Sheet e I INVENTCR. Hal-1% C. H nbinsan ATTORNEY.

April 13.;1931. H',.} i 2,07 ,672

STOCK QUOTATION SYSTEM Filed Sept. 11,1931 7-Sheets-Sheet 'r AUXILIARY BOARD MAIN BOARD INVENTOR. Harald E. Hnbinsun ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 13, 1937 UNITED STATES PATEN STOCK QUOTATION SYSTEM Delaware Application September 11, 1931, Serial No. 562,320

8 Claims.

v The present invention relates to stock-quotation systems, but is concerned more particularly with systems of this kind wherein a central-station transmitter comprising a register sender is employed to transmit stock quotations to a plurality of receivers, each receiver having associated therewith groups of indicating devices to indicate the received stock quotations.

Ifhe main object is the production of a new and improved stock-quotation receiver which receives quotations transmitted over a single-conductor telegraph line by means of a start-stop printing-telegraph transmitter operating from the central-station register sender.

The stock-quotation receiver disclosed herein is an improvement on the stock-quotation receiver disclosed in the application of Robinson et al., Serial No. 549,969, filed July 10, 1931, in that only a single incoming line conductor is re- 29 quired by the present receiver in place of the four incoming line conductors required by the receiver in the Robinson et al. application.

General description As explained in the above-mentioned application of Robinson et al., it is proposed to provide each of a plurality of stock brokers offices with a mechanical indicating board, with a separate group of indicators on each board for each stock 30 in which the broker is interested, and to furnish receiving indicator-controlling apparatus with each receiving board, all controlled from a common transmitting station.

The present invention has to do with im- 35 provements on a receiver operating in a system such as outlined briefly above, and it contains the following outstanding features:

1. In order to insure the proper distribution of the impulses to the register relays of the re- 49 ceiver, a motor-driven impulse distributor similar to the type ordinarily employed in start-stop printing-telegraph systems is provided with sufficient segments for accommodating all register relays of the receiver in a single revolution of the distributor, thereby eliminating, at the same time, the transfer relays ordinarily employed in the receiver to transfer the control to the register relays in turn.

2. In order to avoid the necessity of transmit- 3 ting a transmitter-identifying or stock-group-selecting impulse incidental to each quotation, the present receiver is arranged so as to enable the line sending time to be reduced by automatically connecting up the receiver sections for operation 5;; one after the other in regular sequence, always starting with receiver section one when a new quotation arrives following a pause.

3. According to a further feature, the priceregister relays are provided with control contacts which are efiective to start the operation of the local sender and to energize the contact pyramid of the stock-range register. As a special starting arrangement, an additional relay is arranged to be operated over an intermediate spacing segment when neither of the first two price relays operates. By this starting arrangement a standard receiving distributor may be employed instead of a special one having local equipment for securing the proper sequence of operations. Moreover, with the starting of the local sender dependent upon the operation of oneof the relays of the price-digit register, the local sender is not started in response to the rotation of the distributor when no quotation is being received, thereby eliminating unnecessary wear at the local sender. V

4. In order to avoid the possibility of the first price-digit register relay to be operated falling back before the locking circuit can become closed at the start relay of the local sender, the control of the starting and stopping of the local sender has been revised and a stop relay has been added, through the contacts of which locking potential is normally available for the relays of the pricedigit registers. In addition, each register relay in the price-digit registers is provided with a contact pair for starting the local sender, thus insuring that no relay will remain locked up if inadvertently actuated by an attendant, as the locking potential is automatically removed responsive to the local sender going through its usual cycle of operation.

5. In order to enable the starting and stopping of the motor generator of the receiver, together with the motor of the distributor and the motor of the local senders to be controlled over the line from the'transmitting station, relay apparatus is provided to respond to the operation of the line relay when current is placed on the line at the transmitting station to start the motors in the receiver into operation and to remove them from under immediate control of the line relay; and, in order to again stop the motors at the receiver, arrangements are provided for counting the operations of the distributor during which no energization of the line relay takes place and for stopping the motor generator and the other motors at the receiver following a predetermined number of such revolutions. In this way, the operation of the motor generator is, not

interfered with in any way during the normal sending operation, but the receiver is automatically shut down responsive to the opening of the line circuit at the transmitter following a line 5 reversal.

Other objects and features of the invention,

mainly incidental of those hereinbefore stated,

will become apparent upon a further perusal of the specification. Referring now to the drawings, comprising Figs; 1 to 7, they show a sufficient amount of- The particular transmitter with which the re ceiver is intended to operate is inusefbythe Teleregister Corporation of New York city,,New York. Since the present inventionis concerned entirely with improvements in the receiver, the details of the transmitter are not shown, but a brief reference will be made in the course of the description to such features thereof as are necessaryto an understanding of the receiver.

I Arrangement of the receiver As in the above-mentioned Robinson et a1. ap-

plication, the receiver illustrated herein includes two sections, each allotted to a separate one of the two groups into which the stocks are divided for purposes having to do with the transmission and posting of quotations. As much of the apparatus as is considered practicable is common to the two sections.

I The apparatus of Figs. 1 and 2, together with the relay apparatus at the topof Fig. 4 and the 40 indicating boards of Fig. 7, is common to both receiver sections. The remaining apparatus shown in detail is individual to section I, while the apparatus individual to section2 is indicated .by the rectangle shown at the bottom of Figs. 5 and 6.

The apparatusof'Fig. 1 includes, line relay IOI, motor-control relays I02.-'I06, sequence relays I01--I I0, and the motor-generator MG and related power-supply equipment. 7

The apparatus shown in Fig. 2 includes, the

receiving distributor 200 andthe registers SH,

.ST, SU, and SR, which record the stock-code digits and stock-range and price-range digits for both sections of the receiver; Each of these reg- ;isters includes relays A to D, and the registers are associated with separate groups of impulse conductors A to D of distributor200.

The apparatus shown in Fig. '3 includes the registers PT, PU, and PF which register the price digits when section one of the receiver is in use. These registers are rendered effective whenever the connecting relay SDI is energized under the control of sequence-control relays IBI-I In, Fi 1'.

The apparatus of Fig. 4 includes the stockselectio-n relays, together with the intermediate distributing frame IDF and the connecting relays IIJOI and I OBI. Of the stock-selection re- 1 lays, there are six hundreds relays, of which 'T 2I, and T'60 of section two. Theconnecting prising relays III8I I34, I, and'40'2, together with the impulse machine IM, operated by motor I I I! and common to both sections of the receiver. The upper set of contacts of the impulse machine the lower set of contacts controls the section-two local sender. V V

Fig. 6"shows the stock-range relays I202I2I0,

together withthe connecting relay I20I, which .is operated to connect these relays and price:

range relay III8 of Fig. 5'to the contacts of the relays-in the stock-range register SR, Fig. 2,

' IM controls the section-one local sender, while row or rows of indicators in a'selected stock group to be operated. a V Fig.7 shows the main indicating board MB, the auxiliary indicating board AB, and the indicating board EB, used by executives Only one stock indicator group and associated stock relay is shown at each board.v

It may be pointed out that the connections incoming to the armature springs of the stock re- .:lays, the stock relay .I3IJI for example, aremade preferably through jack'contacts, so that any stock relay. may be inserted into either oftwo sets of jack contacts to associate it with the multiple of either of' the two receiver sections. In this way, any group of indicators may be assigned to any stock in either stock group.

I It is'tobe noted that each of the stock relays,

I30I, l30'2,'a.nd I303, is shown in association with,

n The contacts of the multiple of section 2 are shown just below.

the stock'multiple of section I.

the contacts of the stock multiple of section ,I,

and the'jack contacts are preferably so arranged that the position of the relay maybe shifted only slightly to connect the relays to the multiple conis restored and reoperated by current reversals when a quotation is being transmitted from th transmitting station to the receiver.

The line relay IOI controls the distributor 200 through the medium of the start magnet 203, which causes the brushes 204 to 201 to make one complete rotation over the brush rings 2082I I each time the magnet is operated. The

relays of the registers SH,,ST, SU, SR,'P,T, PU, and PF, Figs. 2 and 3, are controlled through the segments in the ring 2| I by line relaytIO to register the digits of the quotations.

The distributor 200' is driven by the m0tor20I,

controlled by governor 202, and may be, for example, similar to the distributor disclosed in the patent to P. M. Rainey, No. 1,311,915, granted August 5, 1919.

Detailed description The invention having been described generally, a detailed description of the operation of the apparatus shown will now be given. For this purpose it will be assumed that a quotation is received over line I00, and that the quotation is 1223-041. The digits 1, 2, and 2 of this quotation are the stock-code digits, and they are to be registered on the stock-hundreds, stocktens, and stock-units registers, SH, ST, and SU, Fig. 2; the digit 3 is the stock-range digit and it is to be registered on the stock-range register SR; and the digits 0, 4, and 1 are the price-tens, price-units, and price-fractions digits, and they are to be registered on the registers PT, PU, an PF, Fig. 3.

Receiving the quotation 1223041 'It will be assumed that the quotation 1223 041 is received at the end of an idle line period, and that it is a quotation pertaining to section one of the receiver, in which case it is sent out by the transmitting station as the first quotation following a pause, as the receiver is arranged to set up in section one the first quotation received following a pause.

Starting the distributor When the line current is reversed over line Hi9 at the sending distributor, the electro-polarized line relay Hll restores, opening the circuit of relay I02 at its upper armature. At its innerlower armature, relay Illl disconnects the control conductor I23 from positive potential through resistance element HI and connects it to negative, or ground, potential by way of resistance element H2, thereby closing an energizing circuit for start magnet 203 of the distributor 2913. The start magnet now energizes and releases the brushes 2M2i|1 so that they aredriven over the rings 2082l l of the distributor by the distributor motor 20L When the brush 20! leaves the normal segment, it opens the circuit of start magnet 203 in case the line relay Hli has not already done so, whereupon the start magnet deenergizes, but the brushes continue to travel until they make one complete revolution, having been released by the start magnet.

Brush 205 energizes the locking conductor l2l when it comes into engagement with the long, ofinormal segment of ring 209, thereby preparing locking circuits for the register relays of Fig. 2. The placing of energizing potential on conductor l2l also extends energizing potential through the contacts of relay N18 to conductor 120, in addition to energizing the slow-releasing relay ill] to prepare operating and locking circuits for relays NIL-I09.

Connecting up section one When conductor 120 is energized upon brush 205 engaging the off-normal segment of ring 209, the connecting relays of section one, including connecting relay 90!, Fig. 3, Illlll of Fig. 4, and l2lll of Fig. 6, operate to connect up section one of the receiver for operation.

Setting up the quotation digits As the brush 20'! passes over the off-normal segments in ring 2| I, it contacts with each of the register relays of Figs. 2 and 3 in turn, thereby bringing all of these relays under the control of line relay Hl I, successively. The transmitter is arranged to reverse the current flow in conductor I 00 back to normal and bring about the reoperation of relay ml each time brush 201 is in engagement with a register relay required to be operated to register the instant quotation, relay I9! being restored at all other times during the travel of the brushes.

price-tens register PT are operated to record the price-tens digit, 0; relay B of the price-units register PU is operated to record the price-units digit, 4; and relay D of the price-fractions register PF is operated to record the price-fractions digit, 1.

It is to be noted that the operated relays in registers SH, ST, SU, and SR close. locking circuits for themselves to conductor l2l, energized by way of brushes 204 and 205 and the ofi-normal segment of ring 299, while the energized ones of the relays in registers PT, PU, and PF close looking circuits for themselvesby way of locking con, ductor 302, normally energized through the upper contacts of stop relay 402, Fig. 5.

Stock selection The Way in which the group of indicators corresponding to the stock with which the instant quotation is identified is selected will now be pointed out.

It is assumed that there are approximately twelve-hundred stocks being handled by the present stock-quotation system, and that they are about equally distributed between the two channels, and consequently between the two receiver sections. As a result, each receiver section must provide for the selection of any one of six-hundred stocks, although only a small portion of the total number is ordinarily subscribed to by any one broker.

Since energizing potential is normally connected to the apexes of the contact pyramids associated with the registers SH and ST, the stockhundreds and stock-tens selection relays are appropriately operated over conductor groups M2 and 8 l3 as soon as the first two digits of the quotation have been received. As soon as the first relay of the price-tens register PT operates (relay A in this case), an energizing potential is placed at the right-hand contacts of the relay on conductor 924, closing prepared circuits by way of contacts of relay 9G! and conductor 213, later described.

When the stock-hundreds digit 1 is registered on the stock-hundreds register SH, Fig. 2, wherein relays A and B are operated, positive potential is extended through contacts of relays A and B to the associated digit-1 conductor, closing a circuit for relay HI, Fig. 4. It is to be noted that only six of the ten digit-conductors of the stock-hundred register SH are extended to hundreds relays such as relays Hi, H2, and H5, as indicated by the double-bracketed line 8l2 extending from the stock-hundreds register SH, Fig. 2, across the sheet on which Fig. 3 is drawn to the hundreds relays of Fig. 4. When relay Hl operates, it connects the digit conductors |0 represented by the double-bracketed line BIS of the stock-tens register ST, Fig. 2 to the associated tens relays in hundreds group i of which the tens relay TI2 of section I and the corresponding tens relay TI2 of section 2 are shown.

When the stock-tens digit 2 is registered on the stock-tens register ST, Fig. 2, wherein relays A and C are operated, relays A and C placea positive potential on the associated digit-2 conductor,

- closing 'a circuit through contacts of relay HI,

.relay- I I' of section 2 is not at-this' time energized;

When conductor 2 I3 is energized as above mentioned, the stock-units digit 2 having-been registered on the stock-units register SU, Fig. 2, a positive potential is extende'd by way of contacts of operated relays A and C to the associated digit- 2 conductor, the positive operating, potential extending further through contact's'of'reiays IO0I and TI2 to terminal I 22 on the terminal block I002 of the intermediate distributing frame IDF. It is assumed that the stock BBA (concerning which the present quotation is being transmitted) is a stock the quotations of which are to be in:- dicated on the auxiliary board and the executive board, in addition to the main board. Accordingly, three jumpers extend from terminal I22 of blockI'002, one jumper extending to the terminal in block I 003 of the main board which terminates conductor I006; another jumper extends to the terminal on block I004 of the auxiliary board which terminates conductor I001; and the third jumper extends to the terminal on block I005 of the executive board which terminates conductor 1008. As a result, stock relays I30I, I302, and

I303, Fig. 7, located on the main. auxiliary, and executive boards, respectively, operate over conductors I006I008 responsive to the potential placed on terminal I22 of block I002. Upon operating, each relay closes a locking circuit for 'itself to the locking conductor I I59, which is energized upon the operation of start relay 40 I, as will be pointed out in detail hereinafter.

Selecting the stock range With the digit-3 conductor associated with the stock-range register SR energized, a circuit is closed through contacts of the section-one connecting relay I20I, Fig. 6, for the last-price (LA) relay I2I0. Relay I2I0 operates and closes a locking circuit for'itself to conductor 925, controlled by start and stop relays 40I and 402.

Starting the local sender As a further result of the placing of an ener gizing potential upon start conductor 924 at the price-tens register PT, start relay 401, Fig. 5,

operates and energizes locking conductors H59 and 925 at its upperarmature and at its middleupper armature, respectively; prepares alocking stock range relay and stock relays.

With relays A and D energized in the stockcircuit for stop relay 402 at its inner-upper armature; and at its lower armature it places a potential on conductor 'H1I through contacts ofv stop relay 402, thereby starting the local senderinto operation. The local sender now proceeds to transmit the restoration impulses and to transmit the resetting impulsesunder the control of the registers PT, PU, and PF, as will now be explained.

Restoring the selected indicators I With the last-price range relay I2I0. operated.

and with stock relays I30II303 operated, the

last-price indicators of stock BBA have been selected on the three indicating boards, Fig. 7. I

The next operation to be performed is the restoration of the selected indicators to blank position, which operation is performed as follows:

When operating potential is placed on conductor II'II by start relay 40] as above pointed out, an operatingcircuitis.prepared for pick-up relays III9 and H byway of the upper con 7 tacts of cam IIOI. Then, as soon as these contacts close, relay Hl9operates andlocksiitself to conductor H'II in series with relay H20. aelay I I20 does not operate for the time being because it is supplied with the same potential at both terminals. When the upper contacts of cam IIOI separate,'howeyer, the initialcircuit of relay III9. is opened, whereuponrelay H20 operates in series with relay H09 and shiftsthe upper contacts of. cam. I I0] from in association with relays III9 and H20 into association with relays H2I and H22, by way of contacts of relays H32, H28, H25, H24, and H22; As a further a result of its operation, relay 1 I20 applies operating potential to conductor H13, which potential is extended through contacts of relay H34 to the tens, units, and fractions operating conductors 92I, 922, and 923.

are connected to conductors H4I-I I43, the operating potential is now extended to the upper contacts of each of the cams II02-I I I6. These cam-contacts, therefore, send impulses over conductors II44--I I58 to the three indicator boards of V Fig. 7 by way of contacts of the operated Since only the last-price relay I2I0,,Fig.. 6, is op erated,;only

nected through, and these are connected through toconductors I234, I235, and I236. The impulses transmitted 'over conductors through contacts of the operated stock relay II to the tens, units, and fractions indicators in the.

.Since conductors 92 I----923 conductors H44,- I-I46, and H48 of the impulse group pertaining to the main board are con shift the return circuit for the indicator from ground to the normally ungrounded actuatingground" conductor 1304., AccordinglyQthe laStprice indicators of stock BBA, code I22, of the auxiliary board, pass through contacts of the last-price relay I2I0 and by way of conductors I250-I252 and through contacts of the stock relay I302 to the last-price indicators of stock BBA on the auxiliary board AB, restoring all of these indicators to blank position. 'In addition,

; main board MB are restored to blank position. At the same time the impulses transmitted over conductors H50, H52, and H54,.specific to the I the ten restoring impulses transmitted over con ductors H56--H58, individual to the executive board, pass through contacts of the last-price range relay I2I0, over conductors I253--I255, and through contacts of stock relay I303 to the indicators of stock BBA on the executive board EB. These impulses restore these three indicators to blank position.

The indicators used. to display the price digits are assumed to be of the type shown in Figs. 13 and 14 of British Patent 368,369, complete accepted March 1, 1932. Each indicator has a digit-display drum actuated step-by-step by its associated stepping magnet. A cam carried on a shaft with the drum controls the illustrated cam springs to shift the return circuit from ground to an actuating ground conductor such as I304, I305, or I306 when the drum is in normal (blank) position.

The actuating-ground conductors are ungro'unded during the transmission of the restoration impulses; and, as a result, each stock indicator being restored, upon arriving in blank position, is unable to move further because its magnet circuit is shifted over to an ungrounded actuating conductor.

As will be hereinafter pointed out, when the resetting impulses are to be transmitted, the actuating ground conductor is connected to ground by the local sender, providing a ground return circuit to advance the indicators from blank position.

Counting the restoration impulses The way in which the restoration impulses are counted by the operation of relays I to 8, 9, and (HZI-H28, H3I, and, H32) will now be pointed out. It is to be noted that the upper contacts of cam HOI become closed just as the remaining cams H02I I I6 are opening the upper sending contacts, that the contacts of cam Hill are again opened just as the cams H02-IH6 are again opening their upper contacts, and that an impulse is sent, therefore, over each of the conductors HM-H58 during each closed portion of the upper contacts-of cam Hill, as well as during each open portion of the cam. As a result, each of the cams II02-III6 transmits twice as many impulses as the cam I NH, and ten restoring impulses are transmitted by the cams H02I I I6 by the time five impulses have been transmitted to the counting relays of the local sender, following the operation of relay H20 at the termination of the pick-up impulse. Relays II2I, H23, H25, H21, and. HSI operate responsive to the beginning of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth impulses from cam I I 0 I, respectively, and the relays H22, H23, H26, H28, and I I32 operate at the end of the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth impulses, respectively. The relays H2II'I28 are locked to conductor H12, which is connected to locking conductor H'H through contacts of relay I i3I Now, when relay II3I operates at the beginning of the fifth impulse delivered by the upper contact of cam HIlI following the operation of pick-up relays III 9 and H20, it looks itself to the incoming impulse conductor controlled by the upper contacts of cam Hill and over a circuit path which is independent of the contacts of relay H28, at the same tinie opening the connection between the armature of relay H28 and the impulse conductor. At its lower armature, relay H3I locks itself to conductor I III in series with relay H32, at the same time disconnecting conductor H12 from conductor HII. When this occurs, relays I I2 I-I I28 all fall back, preparatory to being re operated to count the resetting impulses.

At the termination of the impulse which operates relay I I3I, relay I I32 operates in series with relay H3I and again places locking potential on conductor II'I2 by means of its lower contacts; at its inner-upper armature it prepares to' operate relay H29 instead of relay II3I upon the second operation of the counting chain; and at its upper armature it disconnects the impulse conductor from the junction of its own winding and that of relay I I3I, at the same time extending it through contacts of relays H28, H26, and

HZ i to relays Hill and H22 again.

By this time, ten restoration impulses have been transmitted to the selected indicators over the paths pointed out, restoring them all to blank position.

Resetting the restored indicators The way in which the restored indicators are reset to the respective positions designated by the digits registered on the price registers (PT, PU, and PF) of Fig. 3 will now be explained. Upon referring again to the section-one local sender of Fig. 5, it will be noted that the actuating-ground relay H34 is operated in multiple with relay I E32, when relay I I32 operates at the end of the tenth restoring impulse. It is to be noted that the resistance element I I33 is shunted around relay II3I, thereby furnishing additional current for operating relay I I34 in multiple with relay H32. At its three upper armatures, relay H34 disconnects the tens, units, andfractions conductors 92L 922, and 923 from the conductor H13, energized at the upper contacts of pick-up relay H20. By this arrangement, the currentsupply for the impulse-sending contacts of the impulse machine IM is restricted to the digit conductors I to 0 controlled by the upper contacts of relays II 2I-I I30 and multiplied to the bases of the contact pyramids of the price registers of Fig. 9. At its three lower armatures, relay H34 places actuating-ground potential on conductors H6I-H63, extending to the main, auxiliary, and executive boards, respectively. The placing of ground potential on these conductors provides a ground return circuit for the last-price indicators of Fig. 7 which have been shifted into connection with branch conductors I304, I305, and I306, branches of conductors H6I, H62, and H63, respectively.

Following the transmission of the ten restoration impulses, the resetting impulses are started without any pause between the two groups other than the regular inter-impulse time interval, as determined by the shape of the sending cams and the speed of the driving motor HII. The first resetting impulse is transmitted following the operation of relay 1 I32 and preceding the reoperation of relay II 2|. reoperation of the relays of the counting chain proceeds as explained in connection with the first operation of the relays, the counting relays I to 0 operate immediately following the transmission of the first to tenth restoration impulses, respectively. It will be understood, of course,

that relays H29 and H30 (9 and 0) count the ninth and tenth resetting impulses, whereas the ninth and tenth restoration impulses were counted by relays I'I3I and I I32.

With the digit 0 set up on the price-tens regis-. ter PT, wherein relays A, B, and D are operated, the energizingpotential placed on conductor I I13 Accordingly, since the through the upper .contacts of pick-uprelay I I20 is extended through the upper contacts of relay I 30 to the digitconductor, and thence by way of the contacts of the operated relays A, B, and D of the price-tens register PT to conductor 92 I; with the digit 4 set up on the price-units register PU, the energizing potential on conductor H13 is extended through the upper contacts of relay I I24 to the digit-4 conductor, and thence by way of contacts of the price-units register PU to conductor 922; and, with the digit 1 set up on the price-fractions register PF, wherein relay D is operated, the energizing potential on conductor H13 is extended by way of the digit-1 conductor and through contacts of the price-fractions register PF to the units conductor 923. In this way, the energizing potential is supplied to the tens, units, and fractions conductors 92I, 922, and 923, and is extended through the tens, units, and fractions conductors I I4I, H42, and N43 to the upper contacts of the sending cams I I02-I I I6, enabling the concerned ones of these sending contacts to transmit the resetting impulses to the restored indicators.

Terminatingthe fractions digit I and the further operation of the fractions cams H06 and H01, IH2 and HI3, and IHB is ineffective to transmit further fractions impulses. The connected fractions indicators are, therefore, left standing with the digit 1 displayed.

' Terminating the units digit ,4

When the fourth counting relay, I I24, operates following the transmission of the fourth resetting impulse to the indicators, it disconnects the energized conductor I I13 from the fourth digit conductor, thereby disconnecting energizing potential from conductor 922, connected tothe apex of the contact pyramid of the price-units register PU, wherein the digit 4 is set up. Disconnecting the energizing potential from conductor 922 removes the energizing potentialfrom conductor II 42, associated with the upper contacts of the units sending cams H04 and H05, H10 and III I, and HI5. Therefore, no further units impulses are transmitted, and the connected units indicators are left standing with the digit 4 exposed.

Terminating the price-tens digit 0 When the tenth counting relay, H30, operates following the transmission of the tenth resetting potential fromconductor 92I, connected to the apex of the contact pyramid of the price-tens register PT, wherein the digit 0 is set up. ,By

this operation, energizing potential is removed from the. upper sending contacts of the tens cams and 1 have been set up on the last-price indicators shown in Fig.7.

When relay H30 operates, all of the resetting impulses have been retransmitted,and the apparatus comprising section I of the receiver may be cleared out in a inafter.

Clearing out the common apparatus of the receiver When the brush 205 of the distributor leaves the off-normal segment of ring 209 and again encounters the normal segment of this ring, energizing potential is removed from conductor I2! and. also. from conductor 120, which derives potential from conductor I2I, whereupon the locked Clearing oat section one At the end of the resetting operation, relay I I30 of the section-one local sender, Fig. 5, operates and closesa circuit forstop relay 402 at its upper armature.

through the inner-upper armature of the start relay 40I; terminates the action of the local sender by removing energizing potential from conductor I'I1I at its lower armature; removes energizing potential from conductor 925 at its middle-upper armature; and at its upper armature removes energizing potential from looking conductor 302, thereby permitting the locked-up register. relays of Pig. 3 to restore. When all of them have restored, the energizing potential is removed from start conductor 924, whereupon start relay 40I restores and permits the lockedup stop relay 402 to restore by opening the looking circuit'of the latter relay at its inner-upper armature. When relay 402 restores, it replaces locking potential on conductor 302-, again preparing locking circuits, for the relays of registers PT, PU, and PF. 7

It is to be noted that the relays MI and 402 cannot restore to replace this locking potential aslong as any one of the register relays of Fig. 3 is operated, because each relay has a pair of contacts for maintaining energizing potential onthe start conductor 924 until it falls back. Maintaining, energizing potential on conductor 924, however, does not maintain energizing potential on conductor 2 I3, connected to the apexes of the contact pyramids of registers SU and SR, be-

cause conductor 2I3 is disconnected from conductor 924 as soon as relay 90I restores responsive to the distributor brush 205 leaving the off-normal segment of ring 209.

Action of the distributor between quotations In order to insure that the distributorin the receiver will remain in synchronism with the transmitting distributor as nearly as possible, and in order to prevent any slight phase displacement of single revolutions from becoming accumulative, the receiving distributor is normally adjusted to run very slightly faster than the transmitting distributor, so it reaches its normal or start-stop position slightly ahead of the sending transmitter, and is stopped momentarilyin normal position, as is well known to those acquainted with start-stop printing-telegraph practice. The transmitting distributor is accordingly arranged to reverse the line current back to normal direction while brush 201 is passing over the The stop relay402 operates and locks itself energized at its inner-upper armature mannerto be explained here:

dead segment following the final active segment and just preceding the normal. segment in ring 2| I. Therefore, when crush 20.! arrives on the normal segment, line relay I! is in an actuated condition and no energizing circuit exists for start magnet 203. Under this condition, the arm carrying brushes 204201 is physically restrained by the usual latch mechanism from traveling further, and the brushes 20 to 20? come to rest in normal position. This action is arranged to take place invariably, even though another stock quotation is to follow immediately.

The circuit of relay H0 is opened when energizing potential is removed from conductor I2! upon brush 205 coming again into normal position, but relay Illl, being slow-releasing, remains operated between successive quotations of a series because the distributor 200 remains in normal position for only an instant.

Selecting section two When brush 205 arrives again in normal position and places energizing potential again on conductor I22, it closes a prepared circuit through 'the upper armature of the now-energized relay IIO for relay IilB, whereupon relay I08 operates and closes a locking circuit for itself in series with the upper winding of relay Ili'l, by way of contacts of relays I09 and H0. Relay Iil'i is not operated at this time, because positive potential is applied to both terminals of its upper winding. It is to be noted that this energizing circuit for relay I08 does not normally exist, because relay I I0 is not normally operated, but is operated with the distributor in normal position only immediately following a rotation of the distributor. With relay )8 operated and locked, the sequence control relay group is prepared to select section two of the receiver in case another quotation is received immediately.

Receiving a quotation pertaining to section two Assuming now that the above-mentioned quotation pertaining to section one is followed immediately by a quotation pertaining to section two,

' the reversal of line current causes relay iflli to restore and start the distributor 2336 again by momentarily operating start magnet 203.

When brush 205 leaves the associated normal segment and removes ground potential from conductor I22, the initial circuit of relay I08 is opened, whereupon relay I07 operates in series with relay I08 and in the locking circuit of the latter relay. Upon operating, relay I01 prepares a holding circuit for its lowerwinding and an energizing circuit for release relay I09 at its inner armature.

Connecting up section two Again selecting section one When the brushes 204+267 again arrive in normal position, the placing of ground potential on conductor I22 by brush 265 results in the closure of a holding circuit for the lower winding of relay I01 and in the closure of an energizing circuit for release relay I09. Relay I00 thereupon. operates and opens the locking circuit of relay Ii08, whereupon relay I08" falls back and opens an additional point its locking circuit at its lower armature, at. the same timedisconnecting relay I09 at its inner-upp'erarmature. Relay I01 remains operated until the distributor 200 again leaves its normal position or until relay IIO falls back, whereupon relay I0! restores.

' At its upper armature, relay I08 switches conductor l2I from conductor 120' to conductor I20, thereby predetermining that the next quotation received will be directed to section one of the receiver.

Starting the local sender when no price tens digit is registered It will now be explained how the local sender is started when no price-tens digit is received. The price-tens digit may be omitted whenever there is no change in the tens digit of the stock quotation, and it may, moreover, be omitted under certain conditions along with the price-units and price-fractions digits when the operator at the transmitting station is resetting the indicators of a stock to blank position.

The special starting circuit now under discussion involves the addition of a special start relay to each section of the receiver. The start relay added to section one is relay 300, Fig. 3, and it hasits actuating winding connected by way of con. tacts of relay SM and the contacts of any actu ated relay of the stock-units register SU to the segment of ring 2 lying between the A and B' price-tens segments. The actuating winding of relay 300 is connected to positive potential. ob-' tained from bus-bar II3, instead of being connected to negative or ground potential, obtained from bus-bar H4, as are the actuating windings of the register relays. By this arrangement, in case no price-tens digit is to be set up, and line relay IIlI is restored while brush 201 is passing over the segments assigned to the price-tens register PT, a circuit is closed for the right-hand winding of relay 300 (assuming that the instant quotation is one pertaining to section one). Upon operating, relay 300 locks itself to the registerrelay locking conductor 302 at its left-hand contacts, and it places energizing potential on start conductor 924 at its right-hand contacts, with the same results as are accomplished when potential is placed on conductor 924 by a register relay.

It will be understood, of course, that relay 300'.

may become operated, even though a price-tensf digit is being set up, in case the digit is one which does not involve either relays A or B of the pricetens register. The operation of relay 300 in conjunction with the relays of the price-tens register PT causes no harmful results. By the described duplex starting arrangement, it is insured that the starting of the local sender is not delayed beyond the point at which relay B of the pricetens register PT is arranged to operate.

In order to prevent unnecessary starting of the local sender by relay 300 when the brushes of the distributor 200 make a revolution at a tmie when no quotation is being received, the circuit for relay 300, Fig. 3, and for the corresponding relay of section two is taken through contacts of the relays of the stock-units register SU. If no quotation is being received, no relay of the regis ter SU is operated, and neither relay 300 nor the corresponding relay of the second section can operate to cause an unnecessary starting of the sender.

Maintaining the receiver and transmitter in step has been explained hereinbefore that the transmitter is so arranged that it first transmits a quotation pertaining to section one when it sive ones. When the distributor 200 remains in normal position for a substantial interval, relay IIO falls back because there is no energizing potential on conductor I2I. Upon falling back, relay IIO opens a point in the locking circuit of relay I08 at its lower armature, thereby restoring'relay I08 in case it is operated.

With relay I08 restored, conductor IN is connected with conductor 120 so that the next quotation received will be directed to section one because of the energizing potential being placed on conductor 120 instead of onconductor 120'. It will be understood, of course, that relay I08 continues to be operated each time the distributor 200 arrives innormal position following the receipt of a quotation pertaining to section one, and that it continues to be restored each time the distributor arrives in normal condition following the receipt of a quotation pertaining to section two, as long as the quotations follow one another without appreciable pause. In practice it may be arranged so that the sending of quotations is regularly stopped periodically for a long enough time to permit relay IIO to fall back. By this arrangement, in case the sequence-control relays I0I--I09 should be out of step, the proper sequence is restored when relay IIO falls back.

It may be pointed out that the distributor 200 maybe caused to make a revolution without recording a quotation if desired; as, for example, when a quotation for section twois stored and itis desired to send this quotation without waiting for quotation for section one. In this case, the transmitter is arranged to reverse the line current and cause the distributor 200 to make a complete revolution While the. line current remains reversed, in which case no register relays are operated, because the line relay MI is not reoperated until the distributor 200 arrives again in its start-stop position. It is to be noted, however, that the sequence-control relays I08 and I0! operate in the usual manner, and relay I08. disconnects conductor I20 and connects up conductor 720 when the brushes again arrive in normal position, preparatory to the receipt of the quotation for section two.

Operation of the printer '65 It'is to be noted that a printer, indicated by the rectangle 2i2, is connected to certain segments'in ring '2II not needed for operating register relays. There are five such segments connected' to the printer, enabling one letter of a 70 message to be recorded on the printer each time the distributor 200 makes a revolution; This message may be sent ,out by the transmitter along with stock quotations, or it may be sent separately at a time when no quotations arebe- 15 ing transmitted. The message sent out and continuously while the quotations are being re-- ceived without substantial pause between succes printed on the printer may be intended'for an attendant or repairman at the receiver, who may connect up the printer when he is on duty at through.

Setting up the previous closing price the receiver and disconnect it when he is At the close of the day, the quotations set up on the stock indicators at the indicator boards are wiped out, and the last price of the day'foreach stock is set up as the previous closing price, so that it will show on the indicating boardswhen business is resumed on the next business day.

In order that the tens, units, and fractions digits of the closing price (as indicated bythei last-price indicators) be set up on the tens, units, and fractions indicators of the previousclose group (PC), a suitable quotation is received containing a stock-range digit 8. If this is a section-one quotation, the energization of the digit-8 range conductor by stock range register SR results in the closure of a circuit, through contacts of connecting relay I20I for the "previous close (PC) relayI206. 1

When this relay operates, it connects up the conductors extending to the tens, units, 7 and fractions registers in the previous-close group, resulting in the restoration and resetting impulses being transmitted to these registers'to set In the stock-range register SR, the energization of relay B results in the associated digit-Iconductor being rendered effective, operating the previous-close hundreds relay I205 by war/got.

contacts of relay Hi. When relay I205 operates, it connects up only the hundreds indicator of the selected stock groupfresulting in the hundreds indicators of the row PC on the main board MB and the auxiliary board AB being'set in accordance with the digit now set up on the price-tens register PT. The tens, units; and fractions registers of the previous-close group. are not affected, as they are not connected'up by relay I205,

In this Way, the register PT ofFig. 3 is made to serve as the hundreds register, or as a tens register, depending upon the setting of the register SR, Fig. 2.

Clearing out the open, high, low, and we prices In order to clear out the open, high, low, and.

nected from the digit conductors 1 to 0, thereby preventing the transmission of any resetting impulses to the tens, units, and fractions indicators in the selected stock group and stock-range groups. 7 The operation of relay C in the stock-range register SR results in the associated digit Scon ductor being energized, closing a circuit through contacts of relay I20I for the unison relay I204. Relay I204 prepares the usual locking circuit for itself at its inner-upper armature, at the same time closing circuits for the open, high, low, and last range relays I207, I208, I209, and I2I0. Relays I20'II2I0 are accordingly operated to connect up the tens, units, and fractions conductors I223i236 and IMF-I252, extending to the tens, units, and fractions indicators in ranges open, high, low and last of the selected stock on the main board MB and the auxiliary board AB. The last-price relay I2I0 also connects up the tens, units, and fractions conductors I253I255 extending to the last-price indicators of the executive board EB.

With the stock-range relays II-I2I0 operated, and with the above-mentioned conductors connected up, the series of restoration impulses 20 is transmitted to all indicators of the selected stock groups, with the exception of the indicators in the top row on the main and auxiliary boards, restoring the open, high, low, and. last indicators to blank position. Now, since conductors 92I923 are not connected in the registers PT, PU, and PF, as above pointed out, no resetting impulses are transmitted when the section-one local sender goes through its resetting impulse-counting operation, and the above-mentioned indicators are left standing in blank position.

The foregoing operation of setting up the last price of the day as previous closing price and of then restoring the open, high, low, and last indicators is repeated for each of the stocks, thereby preparing the indicator board for the opening of the next business day.

First quotation of the day; open, high, low and lost When the first quotation of the day is to be set up for any stock, it is to be set up as the opening price, as the high price, as the low price, and as the last price. As a result, the first price of the day contains the unison range digit 9.

The receipt of the unison stock-range digit 9 on the stock-range register SR. results in the energization of the unison relay I204, causing rer lays I20'I-I2I0 to operate as hereinbefore described to connect up the open, high, low, and last indicators. As a result, the price digits set up on the registers PT, PU, and PF of Fig. 3 are transmitted to these indicators, setting up the first received price for the stock in question as 55 the open, high, low, and last price.

Low-last quotation In case a subsequent quotation is the lowest so far received for a particular stock, it should be 50 set up as the low price, in addition to being set up as the last price. In order to bring this about, one range digit or two range digits are received on register SR, depending upon whether the quotation contains a new tens digit or not. In one case the low-last range digit 1 is received alone, while in the other case the range digits 1 and 0 are both received. The relays A, B, and D, or relays A, B, C, and D, as the case may be, of the stock-range register SR are operated to set up the digit 1 or the digits 1 and 0. In response to the digit 1 being set up on the stockrange register SR, the low-last range relay I202 is operated to close circuits for the low and last range relays I209 and I2I0. These two relays 75 are operated to connect up conductors I23I-I236 and I24'I--I255, to cause the digits set up on the registers of Fig. 3 to be transmitted to the lowand last-price indicators of Fig. 7.

In case the range digit 0 is not set up, relay III8 is not operated, and the tens indicators in the affected range group are restored and reset, along with the units and fractions indicators. On the other hand, if the range digit 0 is set up along with the digit 1, owing to relay C of the stock-range register SR being operated, relay II I8 of Fig. 7 is operated to prevent the restoration and resetting of the tens indicators.

High-last quotations When the price digits of a quotation are to be set up as the high price of the day, in addition to the last price, the quotation contains range digits 2 and 0, or the range digit 2, causing the operation of high-last relay I203, and relay Hit, or relay I203 alone. Relay I203 operates the high-price relay I208 and the last price relay I 2| 0, causing the quotation to be set up as the high price and as the last price.

Other quotations A quotation may be received as the high price or as the low price, in units and fractions or in tens, units, and fractions, operating either of the relays I208, or I209, either alone or in conjunc tion with relay IIIB.

Controlling the motor-generator MG Arrangements are made for controlling the starting and stopping of the motor-generator MG over the line from the transmitting station. The stopping of the motor generator is accomplished by restoring the line relay for a long enough interval to permit the motor-control relays to open the motor circuit. Since the line relay is sometimes restored for as long as a complete revolution of the distributor during normal operation of the system, and may occasionally be restored for per! haps two revolutions under abnormal conditions, it is found that one or two slow-acting relays do not give proper timing in the present system. The motor-control relays of Fig. 1, therefore, have been arranged to count the operations of the distributor, as indicated by the operation of the sequence-control relays, and to shut down the motor-generator only after the distributor has made three revolutions with the line relay continuously restored.

During normal operation, relay I02 is operated I each time the line relay IOI operates, and it opens Stopping the motor-generator When it is desired to shut down the receiver at the close of the business day, the line current is reversed, causing the deenergization of relays IM and I02, following which the line current may be discontinued as shown in the Robinson et al, application. With relay IOI deenergized, start magnet 203 is operated and the distributor 200 is started and makes a revolution as pointed out hereinbefore. Relay I02 prepares a locking circuit for relays I04 and I05 at its lower armature. Ordinarily, line relay IOI is reoperated to stop the distributor momentarily when the normal position is again reached, and relay I02 is reoperated. to open the locking circuits of relays I04 and 1o [:52 -?Under use present circumstances, however, relay MI 'is not reoperated when the distributor' 200 again arrives in normal position, and start magnet 203 is immediately ;reoperated to start the distributor .on another revolution, while relay I02 rem ains[unactuated;; With relay I02 in normal; position, the energization of relay I04 through the contacts of sequence control relay l 08at the end of the first revolution results in relay I04 locking itself in series with relay I at its lower armature and through the lower armature of the now-restored relay I02.- Relay I05 does not operate forthe time being, however, because it is supplied withthe same potential at and at its lower armature it opens the circuit of the magnet of the starter S. When this circuit is opened, the starter S opens the circuit to the m'otor g'enerator MG, whereupon the motor generator starts to slow down and come to a stop.

when the'motor-geherator has slowed down sufliciently to, permit the voltageacross the busbars I13 and H4 to be reduced somewhat, relay I03, which has a heavier spring load than relay I06, f alls pack and opens'another point in the circuit to the starter sat its inner and middle r -ar s; was, tjit l w a m t, 1 5 t eor tic of the r'i'iotor of the distributor.

Afteiffthe yoltage across the bus-bars I I3 and I Idflhas dropped to a still lower value, relays I04, 105

lays I0I-I I0. Relay I06 against prepares a for the starter S, but the circuit is not again closed because relay I03 has fallen back, as

abpve pointed out, and relay II is in a deene'rgized condition. a

Starting the motor-generator f" insider to startth'erec'eiver into operation at the beginning of thebusiness day, a current 'flow is"e'st'ablis'hed over lin'e conductor I00 in normal direction, thereby operating line relay" IM to close a circuit from thecommercial power leads IIB an'd I it through contacts of the deenergized relay I03and the deenergized'relay I06 for the starter S. The starter S, thereupon operates and cldss a circuit for the motor 'of the motor-gene'raitoi- MG, starting the motor-generator into operation,

When the. potential has been built up across bus-bars II 3 and H4 to a substantial value, relays I02 and I03 operate, and relay I03 completes a circuit for the starter S independent of the lower contacts of line relay IOI, at the same time disconnecting them from the commercial current leads'j At its lower armature, relay I03 closes a circuit over conductors I24 and I25 for the motor 20I of the distributor 200, starting this 'iriot'or into operation.

The motor employed to operate the impulsegenerating cams pertaining to the local senders "is connected directly across the bus-bars H3 and III, and does not, therefore, need any special starting and stopping arrangement. I

the motor 201 of the distributor may be similarly If desired,

dfl06 fall back, as do any actuated ones of register relays arranged to register stock -quo tation digits, and sequence control means responsive each time a stock quotation" is receivd f0r directing digits of the first stool; quotation of a series to the first of said groups of register relays and for directing digits of each subsequent stock quotation. of the 'seriesto either of said groups of register relays, depending on the spacing be- T tween such quotations and the preceding quotations. 7 v

2. In a stock-quotation receiving station for use in a stock-quotation system; two groups of register relays for registering stock-quotation digits, sequence control means responsive each time a stockquotation is received for directing digits of each odd-numbered stock quotation. of

a series 'to'the first ofsaid groups of registerrelays and for directing digits'of eacheven-numbered stockquot'ation of a series to the other of a said groups of register relays, and means auto:

matically effective whenever there is a pause ,oi

' more than a predeterminedlength separating, two quotations for selecting the first of said groups of register relays to respond tothe next succeeding quotation, regardless of which group,

of register relays responded to the one last re' ceived.

3. In a stock-quotation receiver, means including register relays for recording digits 0!. a stock quotation, means including a sending device o'p-' erable under the control 01' said register relaysto set up the registered digits on indicators, means for starting said sender into operation respone sive to the operation of any one'of a predetermined numberof said register relays, means including an additional relay for starting the operation of said sender when it operates, and means for operating said additional relay when neither of certain ones of the last-named register relays operates. V v I 4. In a stock-quotation receiver, a plurality of relays arranged to register digits in a stock quotation, a local sender arranged to transmitimpulses under the control "of said register relays, said local sender having a start relay and a stop relay associated therewith, contacts on each of said register relays arranged to close a locking circuit for the associated relay when the-relay operates, said locking circuit in each case including normally-closed contacts of said stop relay, another pair of contacts on each of said register relays for closing a circuit for said start relay, each operated register relay closing a. separate circuit for the start relay, means forstarting said local sender into operation responsive to the operation of said start relay, means for operating said stop relay responsive to said local sender reaching a predetermined point in its operation, whereby all operated ones of said register relays are unlocked and restored, and a. self-locking circuit for said stop relay including normally open contacts of said start relay for maintaining said stop relay operated to maintain the locking circuits of the register relays open until the last of them has restored.

5. In combination, a group of self-locking relays, means for operating said relays, a contact pair on each relay efiective when the relay is operated to close a self-locking circuit to hold the relay in operated position, an additional relay, the locking circuits of all said register relays including normally-closed contacts on said additional relay, means for operating said additional relay to open all said locking circuits and restore all operated ones of said register relays, and means including additional contacts on each of said self-locking relays for maintaining said additional relay operated until all of said selflocking relays have restored.

6. In a stock-quotation system employing a revolving distributor to distribute the impulses corresponding to the stock quotations, a group of stock-digit register relays, a group of pricedigit register relays, said distributor being arranged to move from a starting position and having sufiicient segments to close circuits for all of said relays successively to enable them to be operated before the distributor again returns to its start position, a local sender, means for operating said sender under the control of said price-digit relays, a self-locking circuit for said stock-digit register relays energized upon said distributor leaving its start position and deenergized when said distributor again returns to its start position, and a self-locking circuit for said price-digit register relays energized and deenergized under the control of said local sender.

'7. In a stock-quotation receiving station for use in a stock-quotation system, two groups of register relays arranged to register stock-quotation digits, sequence-control means responsive each time a stock quotation is received for directing digits of each odd-numbered stock quotation of a series to the first of said groups of register relays and for directing digits of each evennumbered stock quotation of a series to the other of said groups of register relays, a generating device at the receiver for supplying operating current thereto, and means controlled by said sequence-control means for stopping the generating device when no further quotations are to be received.

8. In a stock quotation receiver composed of two register sections, a motor-driven distributor for distributing the received impulses of a stock quotation to the register apparatus, sequencecontrol means responsive each time a stock quotation is received for associating the distributor with the other section while the next succeeding quotation is being received, whereby received stock quotations are impressed on said sections alternately, and means controlled by said sequence-control means for disconnecting power from the driving motor of the distributor when no more quotations are to be received.

HAROLD o. ROBINSON. 

